Batten down the hatches, Victoria—we’re in for more windy and wet weather.
Just as we were getting used to a little taste of sunshine, Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of Vancouver Island, including Greater Victoria.
According to the weather agency, strong and gusty southeasterly winds are expected to pick up Tuesday night and last through late Wednesday.
That’s also when heavy rain will likely drench the south coast, with up to 70 mm of precipitation predicted for West Vancouver Island and higher terrains.
It follows Victorians experiencing twice the average rainfall last month, making it the fifth wettest April on record for the region, meteorologist Doug Lundquist told Victoria Buzz.
“We do need colder and wetter periods to make an average,” explained Lundquist, noting a cooler than average sea surface temperature west of the Island is likely to blame.
Environment Canada says the upcoming storm “will be accompanied by freezing levels of 1100 to 1500 m, which means precipitation will fall as heavy snow in the mountains.”
“As the cold front passes, winds will shift to strong and gusty westerlies or southwesterlies Wednesday morning, impacting western Vancouver Island, and potentially Qualicum, Victoria, Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley,” it added.
As the storm nears and wind speeds and total precipitation amounts become more certain, Environment Canada says additional warnings may be issued.
Weather officials urge people to monitor alerts and forecasts, reporting severe weather via email to BCstorm@ec.gc.ca or by tweeting with #BCStorm.
